5 Things I learned from My Cruise Experience

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I’ve been on lots of different cruises during my life. I’ve experienced them as a single woman, a newlywed and most importantly, as a parent. In fact, I’ve learned a lot from each and every one of the cruises that I have booked and shared with friends and family, so, what can I teach you about cruises? Here are my top five tips:

Get someone to book your cruise

When I first started looking into booking a cruise, I had no idea what I was doing! There were so many options – where in the world should I go? Which cruise line should I use? Where are the best cabins? What ports will we dock at? – that I started to feel really overwhelmed. The solution: go to a travel agent and have them work out all the tiny details with you, this will save you time, money and effort in the long run.

Cruises are changing

When I was growing up cruise holidays were for two types of people; the old and the rich. Nowadays, cruise companies welcome everyone, especially, as I’ve found out, parents and their small children. In fact, I believe that there is a cruise out there to suit everyone, all you have to do is look.

You can go anywhere

To quote and often overused phrase, the world is your oyster; especially when you’re on a cruise ship. You can go to lots of countries, visit places that you never thought you might be able to visit and meet like-minded people without having to leave the ship.

Choosing your cabin is an art

I used to think cabins were like hotel rooms; they all look the same. But this isn’t true, as cabins come in lots of different shapes, sizes and all of them have great views. If you’re a first-time cruiser, book a cabin on the port side, because this means that you will be able to see the beautiful ports the ship will dock at before anyone else.

Additionally, make sure you know the location of the cabins that you will be staying in. Cabins near the deck and elevators can get quite noisy during the trip, so, make sure you choose a cabin in a quieter part of the ship.

Choose an itinerary to suit you

If you like to spend days at sea, make sure that you book a cruise that has more sea days than others. If you can’t wait to dock and explore, then look for an itinerary that has more part days than sea days and choose accordingly.

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I love cruises; they relax me, let me see new parts of the world and give me precious time with my husband and children. I’m hoping that my next cruise will be to the Mediterranean, specifically the Greek island of Santorini, for our long overdue honeymoon!

About the author: Haley Turner is a travel write and a happy mom of three rowdy kids. She currently lives in Boston, MA.